11. ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s asset retirement obligations ("ARO's"):

Accretion is recorded in the line item “Depreciation, depletion and amortization” on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

In connection with the TransGlobe Arrangement in October 2022, as discussed in Note 4, the Company added $6.1 million of ARO for the future abandonment and reclamation costs of the Canadian assets. The Egypt concessions have no ARO. 

The Company provides for asset retirement obligations on all of its Canadian operations based on current legislation and industry operating practices. The estimated present value of the asset retirement obligation is recorded as a long-term liability, with a corresponding increase in the carrying amount of the related asset. The estimated ARO liability for Canada includes assumptions of actual costs to abandon and/or reclaim wells and facilities, the time frame in which such costs will be incurred, as well as using inflation factors and discount rates in order to calculate the amount of the ARO liability.

In Egypt, under model concession agreements and the Fuel Material Law, liabilities in respect of decommissioning movable and immovable assets (other than wells) passes to the Egyptian Government through the transfer of ownership from the contractor to the government under the cost recovery process. While the current risk to the Company of becoming liable for decommissioning liabilities in Egypt is low, future changes to legislation could result in decommissioning liabilities in Egypt. Any increase in Egyptian decommissioning liabilities could adversely affect the Company's financial condition.

In relation to petroleum wells, under good oilfield practices, the contractor is responsible for decommissioning non-producing wells under a decommissioning plan approved by EGPC during the life of the concession agreement. If EGPC agrees that a producing well is not economic, then the contractor may be responsible for decommissioning the well under an EGPC approved decommissioning plan. EGPC, at its own discretion, may not require a well to be decommissioned if it wants to preserve the ability to use the well for other purposes. As EGPC has discretion on decommissioning wells, there is a risk that the Company could incur well decommissioning costs. In accordance with the respective concession agreements, expenses approved by EGPC are recoverable through the cost recovery mechanism. At December 31, 2022, no asset retirement obligation is recorded associated with the Egypt PSCs.

With relation to the end of the FPSO contract in October 2022, the Company incurred decommissioning settlement fees totaling $6.6 million previously recorded in the asset retirement obligations and included on the consolidated statements of cash flows in the line item, "Cash settlements paid on asset retirement obligations".

In connection with the Sasol Acquisition in February 2021, as discussed in Note 4, the Company added $14.6 million of asset retirement obligations as a result of increasing its interest in the Etame Marin block in Gabon.

The Company is required under the Etame PSC for the Etame Marin block in Gabon to conduct abandonment studies to update the amounts being funded for the eventual abandonment of the offshore wells, platforms and facilities on the Etame Marin block. The current abandonment study was prepared in November 2021. At December 31, 2021, associated with the study, the Company recorded an upward revision of $7.2 million to the asset retirement obligation primarily as a result of increased costs expected with the abandonment of the Etame Marin block and a change in the expected timing of the abandonment costs associated with the termination of the FPSO charter, as discussed further in Note 12. As a result of the expected timing of the abandonment of the FPSO, included in accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet at  December 31, 2022 and  December 31, 2021 is $0.3 and $6.7 million of costs, respectively, associated with the retirement obligation associated with the FPSO.